Chapter Text
“ Maxine,” Billy hissed as he pulled her out of the way of oncoming traffic, “come here you little rugrat.” He grabbed her a bit harshly by the wrist and pulled her to his side. Max gave him a dirty look, but she wasn’t run over by a car, so she could deal with it.
Billy determinedly marched the two of them across the busy parking lot and into the Halloween store. He let go of Max, who immediately ran through the center display with a bunch of animatronic monsters and grim reapers that moved when she walked by them.
As Max entertained herself, Billy’s eyes scanned the store looking for little girl costumes. Before he could find it, Max held up a plastic bag in front of him.
“I want to be this.” She announced, pointing to the Michael Myers costume in her hands.
Billy put his hands on his hips. “You can’t go to school wearing that.”
Max rolled her blue eyes. She was only seven, but Billy felt like he was dealing with the attitude of a teenager.
“But he’s awesome! I don’t want to be any of those dumb costumes,” she said as she indicated to the display of princess costumes.
Billy gave her a hard look as he studied her. This situation was partially his fault for letting her watch the stupid movies anyway.
“Pleeeease.” The plastic bag with the costume in it wrinkled obnoxiously as she wiggled it in front of him.
Other parents were milling around the pair with their young children buying princess and superhero costumes.
Billy had always felt like a fuck up, so it wasn’t surprising to him that he was a fuck up as Max’s guardian either. He didn’t have the patience or the softness to be good with a kid, not that Max was a particularly soft kid, but still…
He wasn’t like his mom. He wasn’t warm and loving and caring. He was just an asshole trying his best and failing constantly.
This was clearly demonstrated as his child was the only one under ten demanding to be a serial killer for Halloween.
A voice spoke up from the end of the aisle, “You could get a costume for school and one for trick or treating.”
Billy and Max both turned to find one of the employees of the Halloween store sitting crossed legged on the floor restocking costumes.
He had long brown curly hair that was tied in a bun and was wearing ripped black jeans and a black t-shirt.
“Yeah, Da-Billy, two costumes. Two costumes, pleeeeease!”
This did seem like the easiest solution to their problem, since Max was a stubborn brat and wouldn’t let go of the Michael Myers costume no matter how much Billy reasoned with her.
He let out a sigh, “Fine.”
“Thanks!” She grinned, before dashing off towards the little boys’ costumes.
Billy gave a look to the employee that was grinning at him from his spot on the floor. As Billy turned to follow Max he said, “Thanks a lot, asshole.”
The guy just grinned, “Any time.”
Billy walked through the aisles to see Max standing in front of a wall of kids’ costumes contemplating her second choice.
She announced, “I want to be something with a weapon.”
“No weapons at school.” Billy argued, “You can get a knife for the Michael Myers costume.”
The grin on her face was pretty damn big. Billy might not be good at a lot of things, but he was good at Halloween.
It was actually the one holiday his dad had tolerated, letting Billy watch scary movies, decorate the house and carve pumpkins. He wanted Max to have those memories too, even if the rest of her childhood was gonna be a shit show.
Max finally reached out and plucked a costume off the wall. She held up a skeleton costume to Billy for approval.
“Fine.” He agreed. “Go get your knife.”
“Yes!” She excited shouted as she ran towards the weapons section. She wasn’t counting on one of the monsters on display moving and growling loudly at her. She screamed and jumped away from it. Billy started laughing at her and looked up to see the employee now standing laughing at her too.
The guy wasn’t half bad looking, but between school and work and Max, Billy barely had time to sleep, let alone hook up with anyone.
With Max occupied, Billy started picking out Halloween decorations. It was their first Halloween alone. Susan hadn’t particularly cared for Halloween and only had stupid cutesy pumpkin decorations. No blood or skeletons in sight.
But that was about to change.
As Billy loaded up his arms with decorations, Max popped back up with a plastic knife that was about as big as she was. “Ready!” She announced.
The two walked up to the register and were greeted by the same employee they had seen earlier.
Max shoved her items up on the counter and Billy placed the decorations down too.
As the employee started scanning items Max ran up with another knife, “Can I have this one?” She asked hopefully.
Before Billy could get a word out the employee answered, “You already have one.”
She groaned and went to put the knife back. It was nice, that for once Billy wasn’t the bad guy saying no. Every decision for Max had been on Billy for the last year and it was fucking hard. It was nice that for once someone else had intervened and that Max had actually listened for once in her fucking life.
The employee continued scanning items as Max played with everything within 10 feet of the register.
The guy spoke up, “I work the door at Fowler’s Pumpkin Patch. You guys should come if you haven’t already.” He stopped scanning and reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets, sliding them across the counter to Billy.
“Da-Billy is taking me tomorrow, because I was good at school this week.” She declared as if not starting a fight or talking back to her teachers was a major accomplishment, when really it was the bare minimum expectation that Billy set.
“Dude, that’s awesome!” The guy sounded genuinely excited for Max. He even had a dopey grin on and his brown eyes were shiny.
Max eyed the tickets hesitantly. She was a very suspicious child, which Billy appreciated. He didn’t like accepting free things, but they were just getting by and free tickets wouldn’t hurt either of them. He stuffed them in his back pocket, “Thanks man.”
“It’s Eddie.” The guy elaborated.
“Like Eddie Van Halen?” Max asked as she tried to sneak some candy into their purchases.
Billy swiftly plucked it out and put it back on the shelf.
“You are a very well educated child.” Eddie grinned down at her.
“Da-Billy says we don’t listen to shit music.” She said proudly as Billy cringed at his seven year old cursing, but it was his fucking fault for being a bad example.
Eddie just laughed and held his hand up in the rock and roll sign, “Rock on, little dude.”
Billy pulled out his wallet and paid. He was ready for this little escapade to end.
Eddie handed Max two bags and Billy scooped up the rest. It was a small gesture, but Billy appreciated it. He didn’t believe in treating Max delicately because she was a girl or because she was small. She didn’t have any blood relatives left. She had to know how to take care of herself and carry her own shit.
“Bye Eddie.” Max said as she gave him a small wave.
It was very odd for Max to be nice to a stranger. Billy tried not to over think it as he ushered her out the door, “Let’s go mad Max.”
“Bye.” Billy heard Eddie call. He turned and nodded his head before keeping Max from walking into traffic and not dropping their purchases.
“He was nice.” Max commented as they put their bags in the Camaro.
He gave her a sideways look as he slid into his seat, “And what have I told you about nice people?”
“That they’re idiots,” Max automatically answered. “But maybe he’s different...”
Instead of answering, Billy just turned up the radio, so Metallica blared through the speakers.